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Moultrie-Sullivan Fair Prepares

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•February 26, 2020•

Moultrie-Sullivan Fair Board held their Annual Fair Board meeting on January 16, 2020 at the Moultrie-Sullivan Fairgrounds. 2020 officers were elected.
Nick Voegel was elected president, Dale Crawford as Secretary/Treasurer and Libby Spannagel as Public Relations officer. A vice-president election was tabled for the next meeting.
The Moultrie-Sullivan Fair will be held June 12-13, 2020. The tentative schedule for the fair will be published soon on the website and Facebook page. Improvements of the fairgrounds in 2019 were also discussed. This included the new furnace and air conditioning system, swine and cattle wash rack improvements, painting of outdoor buildings, painting inside the building, and tree removal.
Other updates will come in 2020 for inside the building and some outside improvements were also discussed. An annual fundraising letter campaign was voted on and approved, which will begin later this spring. If interested in learning more about the Moultrie-Sullivan Fair or the fairgrounds rental check out “Moultrie-Sullivan Fair” on Facebook or contact Nick Voegel at 217-549-0831/voegelnick@yahoo.com.

The Titus Home is Coming Down

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•February 26, 2020•
By Mike Brothers

The Winifred Titus home is coming down.
The Sullivan City County unanimously authorized demolition of the Titus Home and carriage house at the Feb. 24 regular meeting.
Preparation was also made to allow interior items to be salvaged prior to demolition.
The council also approved entering into a TIF agreement with the Sullivan Fire and Ambulance District for a lump sum payment of $211.198.
In a special Sullivan City Council study session on strategic planning held Feb. 20 the reason’s to demolish the century old structure were discussed.
Mayor Richard Glazebrook introduced discussion on the Winifred Titus home, noting the recent $1.4 million estimate to renovate the home into commercial property might be money spent better elsewhere.
“I feel it should come down,” Mayor Glazebrook said of the century old home. “It is a burden and will continue to deteriorate. It would be a shame to watch it decay.” Read More

Sullivan Competes at Swim Sectionals

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Photo furnished
Sullivan Competes at Swim Sectionals
The Sullivan swim team competed in IHSA Swimming Sectionals at Champaign-Centennial High School Saturday.
The Redskins placed eighth overall out of 19 teams, accumulating 79 points.
Individual places and results are below:
Ethan Schmohe, Clayton Schmohe, Matthew Wesselman and Julian Poston swam the 200 medley relay in 1:56.39 for fifth place.
Ethan Schmohe placed third win the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 53.92 and fourth in the 100 butterfly.
Wesselman, Ethan Schmohe, Clayton Schmohe and Poston placed fifth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:42.03.
Poston also placed 19th in the 100 breastroke at 1:22.93.
Matthew Wesselman swam the 500 freestyle in 5:13.57 for sixth place and set a new school record and he placed seventh in the 200 freestyle at 1:55.76
Clayton Schmohe placed 20th and 21st in the 100 freestyle and 50 freestyle, respectively.

Sullivan Girls Scouts Have Paint N Pour

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•February 26, 2020•
The Sullivan Girl Scouts are working toward their Silver Award by raising funds.
The scouts are having a Paint N Pour party from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, March 29 at Jackson Family of Dealerships in Sullivan.
Teamed with a vendor expo the Art Night and More Art Parties- Paint N Pour offers participants a chance to create their own masterpieces. Wear paint clothes.
Register at Tickets PayPal link for Paint Pour!

Sullivan Dance Studio’s Team Attends Competition

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•February 26, 2020•
Sullivan Dance Studio’s Competition Team attended their first competition of the year February 14, 15 and 16 at Oswego East High School.
Seventeen dancers participated in the Groove Dance Competition with their solos, duets and trios. Some of the dancers danced in the “Novice” level, while others danced in the “Intermediate” level. They had dancers in the Mini, Petite, Junior and Teen age categories also.
Results: Read More

ALAH Knights End Winning Season with Tough Games

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Photo by Jason Brown
Jamison Rocke jumps high in the air to catch a ball to break Okaw Valley’s full-court press.

•February 26, 2020•
By Jason Brown
NP Sports Editor

After winning an emotional home game to secure the regular-season Lincoln Prairie Conference championship Friday, the Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond boys’ basketball team could not carry that momentum into the semifinals and lost to Stewardson-Strasburg in the Meridian Regional, Monday.
Against Okaw Valley Friday, a team ALAH lost to 60-57 on Feb. 1, the Knights took the lead in the middle two quarters and held on to ten-point advantage until the fourth quarter.
OV battle back cutting the lead to three points several times in the final period but could not tie the game in the 54-49 win.
“I’m proud of these guys working so hard. We fought through it. These kids went through 3-23 last year to get where they are today is amazing,” said ALAH coach Brad McGill. Read More

Remember When? 2-26-2020

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25 Years Ago This Week

Ice? We don’t need ice. Sullivan hockey players Scott England, John Pruitt, Michael Rogers, Jake Shasteen and Tyler Burich strapped on their inline skates and let the games begin at Wyman Park. Mid-February temperatures were in the 50s as March approaches.
Nancy Schaljo, Judy Marrs, Bob Hagen, Gordie Wood and Rita Florey have volunteered to man the phone bank during the Easter Seals fund drive on WAND-TV.
The Sullivan Redskins held Monticello to eight points in the third quarter but couldn’t hold on as the Sages rallied for a 79-66 win. Zach Hilliard scored 19 points and Jake Moore added 18 for the Sages. Travis Florey led the Redskins with 19 points, Kenny Webb and Kevin Towle scored 12 points and Greg Yoder pitched in with ten points.
Lovington scored 34 first half points in their cruise to a 56-37 win over Villa Grove. Josh Born scored 21 points, Jim Minor added 11 points, Ed Sanner scored nine and Kevin McGregor added seven points. Read More

Strasburg Lions Club Annual Breakfast

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•February 26, 2020•

The Strasburg Lions Club will once again hold its annual all you can eat Pancake and Sausage Breakfast on Saturday, Feb. 29 from 6:30 AM - 10 AM at the Strasburg Community Center.
The Community Center is located a 1/2 block east on Commercial Street off Rt. 32.
New this year, the Lions will also have a Biscuits and Gravy meal available (B&G’s will not be AYCE). Your free will donation will go towards community projects as well as helping the visually and hearing impaired.
Menu: AYCE Sausage, Pancakes, Applesauce, and drinks or Biscuits and Gravy with drink.

Four-way Stop Ahead for Howie’s Intersection

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Photo by Mike Brothers
Deadly intersection on Route 32 south of Sullivan at Findlay/Bruce Rd (Howie’s intersection) was the scene of a deadly crash in 2019. IDOT has approved a four way stop for the intersection.

•February 26, 2020•
After conducting a detailed study of safety issues and past accidents at the intersection of Illinois 32 and Bruce-Findlay Road, IDOT has agreed to convert the intersection to a 4-way stop.
IDOT officials have released the results of Rural Safety Assessment (RSA) on the intersection of Illinois 32 and Bruce-Findlay Road (Moultrie County Road 800 N).
The study was conducted in response to local leaders concerns about the safety of the intersection, including a September 2019 accident when a 56-year-old woman and a 5-year-old child were killed when an SUV hit a school bus.
After the completion of the study, IDOT has agreed to build a 4-way stop at the intersection. Read More

The Trouble with Billionaire Money in Politics

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•February 26, 2020•
By Jim Nowlan
NP Guest Columnist

The rise of billionaires running for office is dampening the democratic impulse, that is, they threaten to take “by the people” out of government. The threat from those who swirl big money around in campaigns drives others to the sidelines of democracy, unwilling to waste their time in a contest where they fear being overwhelmed by billionaire money.
Some context, followed by a few observations:
The four resources critical to all political campaigns are money, people, skill and time. Money has always been necessary to communicate candidate credibility, issue positions, and stimulate voters to the polls. People extend the candidate by spreading his or her message and providing the campaign management skill. Time is undervalued as a resource, as late-starting Michael Bloomberg is finding on the presidential campaign trail.
Until recent decades, political party organizations at the local, state and national levels have been indispensable in helping party-endorsed candidates campaign at both primary and general elections. Party foot-soldiers helped spread the word, and party treasuries provided some or all of the money needed. Read More